Yarn guide for knitting machines



Sept.7, 1937. e. GASTRICH YARN GUIDE FOB KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 14, 1935 )NVLJTN TOR:

611.512) gasfi'ich/ ATTORN Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE YARN GUIDE FOR KNITTING MACHINES GustavGastrich, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 14, 1935, Serial No. 11,050

18 Claims. (Cl. 66126) This invention relates to straight or full-fashioned hosiery knitting machines, and more particularly to the thread carriers or guides, carried by the reciprocating thread feed rods of such machines.

In present day knitting machines of the abovernentioned type, many difliculties arise due to improper construction of the yarn guides, which are carried by the thread carrier bars.

The holder, and the carrier arm of such devices, are of such construction and dimensions, that a relatively long unguided length of yarn extends from the end of the holder to the delivery tube. This construction permits the yarn to whip back and forth across the lower end of the carrier, often causing breakageof the yarn, particularly at the high speeds at which the carrier bars are operated in modern machines.

Another disadvantage of existing structures of this type is apparent in the use of three carrier alternating devices, wherein it is necessary to lead one of the threads to one of'the yarn carriers from a point above and in front of the yarn carrier assembly. In doing this, it is impossible to ,make use. ofthe existing guide apertures in the m lder, and the thread is unguided until it enters the groove passing down over the depending portion of the carrier arm.

. nother difiiculty becomes apparent, in the 11$ of high twist yarn, in that the present day corittruction of yarn carriers permits the thread to kink-and buckle, upon the release of the tensioning fldevices.

One object of this invention is to produce a novel yarn guide device of the type referred to which will eliminate the above and other difllculties incident to the feeding of the yarn across the sinkers and dividers.

Another. object of this invention is to obviatethe above difllculties by constructing a novel yarn' guide assembly with a view to eliminate the injurious effect of the unguided length of the thread carrier, and, at the same time, to maintain the usual length thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for positively guiding the yarn at a point intermediate the delivery tube and the lower end of the carrier arm holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding means along the unguided length of the thread carrier for the purpose of facilitating the use of high-twist thread.

. Another object of this invention is to,'pr'ovide an auxiliary guide member which can be adjustably attached to thread carrier assemblies on parts of a Reading full fashioned knitting machine, embodying the mechanism and elements of my invention;

.Fig. 2 illustrates in section, a thread carrier mounted on a carrier rod, having a preferred form of the specific auxiliary guide aflixed thereto; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a plan view of a preferred form of the auxiliary thread guide per se.

For clearness, only those parts of the various mechanisms necessary for an understanding of the invention are illustrated, the other parts and mechanisms and their manner of operation being well known in the art, as shown and described in the Reading Full Fashioned Knitting Machine Catalogue, copyright 1929, and published by the- Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania.

ly abovethe sinker-head bottom is the sinkerhead top 2 having milled on its bottom surface a series of equally spaced slots. Upon assembly of these parts, the slotsin both of the elements I and 2 are substantially perfectly aligned. Lo- 40 cated within these slots are positioned alternately the sinkers l and the dividers 5. These last two elements are mounted for reciprocation by the slur-cock and catch bar. Mounted upon the sinker-head top 2, is the verge plate 3 for limiting 45 the forward movement of the sinkers.

The knitting needles 6 are spaced in accordance with the gauge of the fabric tobe knitted, and to provide suflicient clearance for the passage therebetween of either a'sinker or a divider. Backward of, and above, the sinker-head assembly, are located the yarn carrier rods 9, which function to throw the yarn carriers so that the latter lay the thread along the noses of the sinkers and dividers, and between the needles and the sinker-head top. The yarn carrier rods derive their motion from the coulier cam by virtue of levers and friction box connections, as clearly indicated in the above-mentioned catalogue. Rigidly mounted on the yarn carrier rods, by means of cap screws I6, is a yarn carrier holder I, as of sheet metal. This element has punched therefrom an integral ear I! having an aperture therein for guiding the yarn. At the rearward portion of said yarn carrier holder, a portion is of the holder is bent upwardly, also having an aperture. therein,-aligned with the aperture in the ear l5. At the lower extremity of the holder 8, are two spaced elongated aperturesor slots la, the purpose ofwhich will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Attached to the back of the yarn carrier holder I, is-the yarn carrier arm I. This element comprises an elongated member bent at its forward lower end for the purpose of passing down over the sinker-head top and approaching the sinkers and dividers as nearly as possible, without interfering with their reciprocating motion. These carrier members, when used in a plural sense as for example in a three carrier alternating device, are formed at various angles to facilitate passing each other during operation.

At the upper extremity of the member I, are

two threaded apertures aligned with the slots l8 of the member 8, for receiving screws ll. Located at the end .of the member I, farthest from the Point of attachment to the holder, is a tube 2| having a bore of determined diameter, depending upon the gauge of yarn or thread used. This tube is. secured, usually. by soldering, to the thread carrier along its longitudinal center line. Directly above the tube,',and leading from the bore thereof upwardly a substantial distance beyond the bend in the thread ca'rrier |,is a groove 2|. This groove functions in aiding to guide the yarn or thread into the tube.

In the construction and manufacture of the carrier arm, incident to the grooving and be'nding of the end portion, and the soldering of the delivery tube thereto, the surface is filed and polishedto present as smooth a surface as possible.

However, it' often occurs that infinitesimal particles of roughness remain on this surface, so minute as toordinarily avoid detection. Nevertheless, this surface is suificiently rough to break a fine silk thread in the event that it jumps from the groove, and whips back and forth over this surface.. K I Mounted on the upper face of the yarn carrier holder 8, by means of screws I4, is an auxiliary yarnguide member ID, as shown in Figure 3. This member .is somewhat of the shape of the carrier arm I, except that it is only about half as long, and has its lower end portion bent oppositely to that of the end portion of the carrier arm I. This auxiliary guide member is bent dur-' 1 ing assembly to fit the'particular form of the receive the screws It. At the extreme front portion of the element I 0, is the bent portion having an elongated aperture ll therein. This aperture I], is aligned'with an aperture II in a raisedear portion l2- nea the upper extremity of the member II, and due to its elevated front portion, permits the yarn to freely pass to the groove 2|, and

thence to the tube 20. The function of the elon' be present along the carrier arm. This carrier assembly also provides a guide in the form of the aperture for the yarn in three carrier alternating devices, where the thread for the top yarn carrier only does not pass down through the apertures in the guides l9, l5 and 12, but must pass-down at a substantial angle to the carrier ina vertical plane, as shown by dot and dash lines in Figure 2, in order to avoid tangling with other threads.

means whereby high twist yarn will not buckle and kink along the thread carrier.

Of course, the improvements specifically shownand described, -by which the above results are obtained, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. ma knitting device, the combination with 'a yarn carrier supporting member, of a yarn carrier arm mounted thereon, means guiding a thread along the longitudinal center line of said yarn carrier supporting member, and auxiliary guide means having an upturned end portion and a plurality of guide apertures located .along the body portion thereof adapted to guide the yarn along the longitudinal centerline of the yarn carrier arm.

2. A yarn carrier for straight knitting ma- --'yarn guide membenhaving a series of aligned guide apertures spaced along the longitudinal centerline thereof, and cooperating with guide means spaced above said member and independ ent thereof whereby the yarn is supported'at intervals throughout the entire length of said yarn' carrier.

4. Ina straight knitting machine including a row of needles, sinkers and dividers adapted to be passed through alternate needles; means for throwing a thread of yarn across the sinkers and I dividers comprising a support containing yarn guide means, a thread carrier arm mounted on said support; of means adjustably mounted on said support and cooperating with. the guide means in said support and positioned centrally of said thread carrier arm preventing lateral whipping of the thread.-

5. A three piece yarn carrier comprising a support having aligned guiding-apertures adapted to be mounted on a carrierrod, a second member attached to the support having a downwardly projecting endportion' remote from the point of attachment tothe supp rt, and a third member mounted in juxtaposition to said former -members having an oppositely projecting end portion from that of the second member, said third member including a plurality of aligned apertures one of which is an elongated eye positioned in said oppositely projecting end portion;

and means in said support facilitating the accurate alignment of all of said apertures.

6. A yarn carrier assembly comprising a yarn carrier support including an apertured up-turned be locked with their respective apertures in alignment. 1

7. A knitting. machine including in combination, a yarn carrier support provided with yarn guiding means mounted on a carrier rod, a relatively long yarn carrier arm, compared ,to the length of the support, mounted on said support, and a member adjustably mounted on said support and having means for guiding the yarn at two spaced points intermediate the ends of said yarn carrier arm.

8. In a knitting machine having in combination, a series of needles, sinkers and dividers adapted to be passed between alternate needles, a yarn carrier including a carrier arm support, the combination with said carrier, of auxiliary means adjustably mounted on the carrier support including yarn guiding means effective throughout the entire length of the carrier to prevent whipping of the yarn during operation of the carrier. y

9. A yam carrier assembly comprising a support provided with yarn guiding means, andhaving elongated openings, a carrier arm mounted on said support and provided with a downwardly depending portion, tube means affixed to the end of said depending portion, and a groove in the surface of the carrier arm extending from the tube means to a point substantially above the depending portion, and auxi'liary guide means mounted on said support and 50 rigidly attached thereto by screws in said open- Y ings passing through all the members, said aux- 'rliary guide means extending down along the carrier to a point adjacent to the terminus of the groove.

10. In a knitting device, the combination of a" yarn carrier including an upper base element for attachment to a carrier rod, a finger element extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom, each of said elements carrying a yarn guide, and means for adjustably securing the base and the finger in fixed rel'ative position, of means mounted on the carrier by, said adjusting means and providing an auxiliary yarn guide for co-' operation with said first yarn guides and intermediate said guides.

11. In an article of the class described, an

auxiliary yarn guide member, said member consisting of an elongated lower portion provided with guiding means at its lower end and arranged to extend along the upper surfaceof a yarn carrier arm with said guiding means positioned in close proximity to guiding means at the lower end of said arm, and'a widened upper end portion provided with means arranged to receive fastening means.

12. A yarn carrier assembly comprising a yarn carrier support, a yarn carrier arm provided with guiding means at its lower end and mounted on said yarn carrier support, an auxiliary yarn guide removably mounted on said support and provided with yarn guiding means at its lower extremity, said auxiliary yarn guide arranged to guide a yarn to said means and extending from said support to a point in close proximity to said guiding means oh said yarn carrier arm.

13. A yarn carrier assembly comprising a yarn carrier support, a yarn carrier arm mounted on said support, provided with a bent lower portion and supporting a yarn guide tube at its lower extremity, a groove in the upper surface of said arm extending from the end of said tube upwardly beyond said bent portion and in alignment with said tube, and anauxiliary yarn guide removably mounted on said support and provided with guiding means positioned adjacent the upper end of said groove.

14. In a full fashioned knitting machine, in combination, a yarn carrier arm extending forwardly and downwardly and having a main yam guide at its lower end, an auxiliary'guide member having a guide spaced above said main guide on the upper side thereof and having an elongated guide opening therein and arranged to direct a thread to said main guide when such' thread reaches the auxiliary guide at any angle between the vertical and the angle of the arm, a support for said arm and member, and means for clamping said arm and member simultaneously to said support.

15. A knitting machine including in combination, a yarn carrier support provided with yarn guiding means mounted on a carrier rod, a relatively long yarn carrier arm, compared to the length of the support, mounted on said support, and means directly mounted on said support and adjustable thereon for guiding the yarn intermediate the ends of said yarn carrier arm.

16. In a knitting machine, in combination, a yarn carrier support provided with yarn guiding means and adapted to be mounted on a carrier bar, a relatively long yarn carrier arm, compared to the length of saidsupport, mounted on said support and extending forwardly and downwardly and having a main yarn guide at guide when such thread reaches the auxiliary guide at any angle between the vertical and the angle of the arm.

17. In a knitting machine, in combination, a yarn carrier support provided with yarn guide means and adapted to be mounted on a carrier bar, a relatively long yarn carrier arm, compared to the length of the support, mounted on said support, a member having auxiliary yarn guide means thereon directly mounted 'on said support, intermediate the guiding means on the support and the lower end of said arm, and fastening means acting simultaneously on said arm and member to clamp them to said support.

18. In a knitting machine, in combination, a yarn carrier support provided with yarn guiding means and adapted to be mounted on a carrier bar, a relatively longer yarn carrier arm, oompared to the length of the support, mounted on said support and extending forwardly and downwardly and having a main yarn guide at its lower end, a member having auxiliary guides one 5 at its upper and another at its lower end directly mounted on said support, and fastening means for securing said am and member to said support simultaneously and arranged also for simultaneous adjustment of the arm and member on said support.

GUSTAV GASTRICH. 

